European Patent application No. 117,653 to Nakel et al, published Sept. 5, 1984, discloses beverage compositions which comprise specific mixtures of cations (calcium, potassium and magnesium), as well as specific mixtures of acids (citric malic, and phosphoric acid), to provide desirable flavor impressions, in particular body, while being stable against precipitation of insoluble salts, in particular, calcium salts. Embodiments 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8, disclose beverages containing 0.035 to 0.045% by weight calcium. The weight ratios of total acids to calcium for these embodiments range from 13 to 26.
Japanese Patent Document No. 56-97248 to Kawai, published Aug. 5, 1981, discloses methods for manufacturing calcium malate/citrate compositions. These compositions can be made by dissolving more than 30% malic acid and less than 70% citric acid in water, neutralizing this solution with calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate, and then recovering the crystalline precipitate. The weight ratio of total acids to calcium for practical Examples 1 and 2 appears to be about 3.26.
Japanese Patent Document No. 54-8767 to Kaji et al, published Jan. 23, 1979, discloses a calcium enriched soft drink containing salts of food organic acids such as calcium citrate, calcium malate, calcium lactate, calcium tartrate, and so on. One such soft drink consists of 3 parts of a mixture of calcium citrate, calcium malate, and calcium lactate, 3 parts of a mixture of fruit sugar and invert sugar, 4 parts of a mixture of orange juice and lemon juice, and 90 parts water. This is believed to calculate out to about 0.66% by weight calcium, about 2.4% by weight total acids and a weight ratio of total acids to calcium of about 3.63.
Japanese Patent Document No. 59-3710 to Takahara, published Feb. 20, 1984, discloses a calcium supplement drink containing calcium phosphate and/or calcium malate, a sugar alcohol such as sorbitol or mannitol, an organic acid such as malic or citric acid, and water. The sugar alcohol appears to be important in this drink for providing a clear solution. The ratio of calcium phosphate and/or calcium malate to sugar alcohol to organic acid can be 1 to 28-99 to 3-7.